Patriots Beat: Revis an island in the sun

Friday

Jul 25, 2014 at 11:01 PMJul 25, 2014 at 11:11 PM

By Tim Whelan Jr.Daily News staff

FOXBORO — It may take a little more time to take in this bearded cornerback than, say, the facial hair-friendly 2013 Red Sox.Or it might not. Judging by the roars of the sizeable crowd waiting for Darrelle Revis to sign autographs after Friday's training camp practice, his days as a Jet were a not-so-distant memory."It's been awesome," the All-Pro cornerback said of the reception in New England. He then paused. "It's been kind of weird in a way, but I'm a Patriot now, and that's how things go, and you've just got to roll with it. They've accepted me, and I'm just happy to be here and play ball."Why weird?"Well, we all know that," Revis said. "(It's) because I was on the other side with another team, with a rival. But I'm here now, and I'm just so excited. I've been in the best shape in my career, and I'm just happy to be out here and play ball."The last three seasons have been nothing short of a disappointment for Revis. In 2011, a Jets squad with high expectations missed the playoffs. In 2012, his season was cut short when he suffered a torn ACL on Sept. 23 at Miami. He was dealt to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers prior to 2013, and while he started every game and was apparently no worse for wear, the Greg Schiano-led Bucs went 4-12."Coming off the ACL injury was tough for me," Revis said. "I finished all 16 games last year, but I still wasn't where I wanted to be physically as a player. So this is my first offseason where I can really focus on, not rehabbing, but just working out — working out and having a full offseason where I can just do that."Now, he is perhaps the personification of the biggest difference between the team that walked off the field in Denver in January and the team that is entertaining training camp crowds in July.The pride of Aliquippa, Pa., just like Ty Law, another to wear No. 24 for the Patriots, the man on the two-year, $32 million deal still gets the pre-camp jitters."You have butterflies because it's the start of football season and training camp," Revis said. "You're so excited to get out here with your teammates and get ready for the season."Nobody, offensive or defensive, escapes questions about Revis. Bill Belichick has answered his fair share, and he obliged on Thursday."Revis has been fine," Belichick said Thursday. "He's worked hard; smart guy. I've been impressed with him. Very professional. Has a good understanding of the game, he's a smart player and he's had a real good focus and instinct. He's a smart player scheme-wise but he knows how to play. He's a very instinctive player."He's also gotten to get to get to know the man behind the No. 24."Just on a personal level, I never had a personal relationship with him so I've enjoyed that part of it," Belichick said. "I'd say as a player, he played well at Tampa, he played well at the Jets and then we saw him in the Pro Bowl. Now we've seen him ourselves for 13 practices and the time in the spring. But again, it's a new year, he's in a new system so we'll see how it all plays out but I'm glad we have him on our team."I look forward to working with him more."Revis has the keys to unlock the Patriots' defensive potential, to bring them over a hump that he has never reached. The furthest Revis has gone in his career is to back-to-back AFC title games, in the Jets' 2009 and 2010 campaigns. It has been three years and counting since he has seen the playoffs.He's got former adversary Tom Brady as a teammate, a player who has missed the playoffs just once (2002) in a season he's completed."We'll have the same color jerseys on Sunday," Revis said with a knowing smile.And while his bank account will see its fair share of zeros, there are other columns he's got his mind on as well."W's are what matter," he said. "More wins than losses in that column, and that's what we want to do as a team."He's earned the individual accolades. Now, Revis is in Foxboro with bigger fish to fry, and with more applause to earn from the people who used to jeer him.If all goes to plan, the weirdness will no doubt subside.Tim Whelan Jr. can be reached at 508-626-4402 or twhelan@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @thattimwhelan.

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